Address: | 1970 Atwood Ave, Madison, WI 53704, USA |
Phone: | +1 608-285-5290 |
Site: | greenowlcafe.com |
Rating: | 4.4 |
Working: | Closed 11AM–9PM 11AM–9PM 11AM–9PM 11AM–9PM 11AM–9PM 10AM–3PM |
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Deja Entendu
It was mine and my fiancées first time at Green Owl, and it was OKAY. When we arrived, we saw two tables open outside and it was a nice day so I asked the host if we could sit there and she said there was a 15-20 minute wait even though nobody was there, and quite honestly the way she was talking to me just came off a bit rude. She was also wearing shorts that were so short the bottom of her butt cheeks were out. Now Im all about being an individual but youre at work, come on. So as we waited my fiancée was asking the girl behind the bar questions about the food (because she is allergic to dairy and gluten) and the girl was giving her minimal answers and also seemed to have a bit of an attitude, but hey, maybe they were having a bad day. Then when we got seated our waitress just had a very pretentious vibe from the very beginning to the end of our meal. She almost acted as if we were being a nuisance. And then some customers behind us asked her a question about the food and she copped an attitude like those people werent cool enough to eat there. Get real, THATS WHY PEOPLE EAT THERE, because you have certain food. We also waited over 45 minutes for our food which was a bit much. The food was decent, nothing special but decent. But as soon as we started to leave my fiancée got a terrible stomach ache. So Im on the fence about this place. Might try it one more time. But if the owner reads this, you should really hire workers that are there to give good customer service. I dont want to pay good money to have some hipsters treat me like their too cool for us. Its a business, not a Coachella concert.
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Mikaela Colner
Two things: 1) The food is very soy heavy, which is disappointing because its just a regular food menu with soy substitutes. I dont think this is very creative. 2) Im gluten free. This is supposed to be one of their specialties (sensitive to others food sensitivities). I ordered a gluten free quesadilla. It came looking MUCH like a regular, flour tortilla, quesadilla. I asked the server immediately, "Are you sure this is gluten free?". She said "yes!" I have seen flour tortillas made gluten free, so I was SO excited. I took a bite. It was definitely a flour tortilla. I told the waitress the problem. She apologized and said, "Wow, its a good thing you didnt eat the whole thing or you could have gotten really sick!". Actually, miss, I get sick if I have ANY gluten in my food. So thanks for that. The owner/manager should take more care in training their employees.
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Anthony Bradshaw
I like to come here for a guilt-free meal from time to time. The food is okay - not great. Pricing is pretty standard for vegan fare. Really great vegetarian/vegan only restaurants are non-existent in Madison. This is as good as its gonna get for now if not being around meat is important to you. My advice: go to Montys Blue Plate down the street. They have a full menu with meat and dairy but also have a lot of vegan options, and even have a special vegan menu on their website. Cheaper, larger portions, and you wont alienate that person you invited out for lunch by taking them to a mediocre niche place where they may not find options they like. If you do go to the Green Owl for brunch on Sunday, get the cinnamon roll and a cup of coffee! Both are amazing. Avoid the biscuits and gravy - the gravy is salty gray blandness.
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Grete Kondyreva
Terrible service, small portions, better food elsewhere. Ordered for takeout, told 15 minutes but it was 40! No apology or anything and kept saying it wouldnt be much longer. They knew they had a large order before us and were talking about it before we ordered. Completely unacceptable. When it was finally brought out the boxes were set on a table. We had to ask for a bag and cutlery which they put on the counter for us to assemble ourselves. The poboy was tiny. The Dijon chicken looked big but that was just the bun, the small patty and any flavor got lost in it. Nachos tasted fine. This was our third and last visit here. Expected more from the only vegetarian restaurant in this city. Go to Montys or one of the food trucks instead. Each visit has included slow service, small portions and uninspiring food.
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A Private User
If you love food, you will love this place. You can taste the love and care in each bite. My partner and I just had dinner there, and we can attest that the "Crabby Cakes," made with mushrooms have a depth of flavor and a brightness and an actual seafoody taste, that the cakes appearance may not indicate. Get them, eat them, and love them. If you dont, then its likely your palatte is defunct. We also had the curry on ciabatta, and the "Italian beef" made with seitan. Both were flavorful, filling and restorative. This is simply our new favorite restaurant in Madison. Its relatively new (less than a year old), and we sincerely hope they survive. If you look for bright, fresh, clean flavors supported by local ingredients, this is the place to go.
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Craig Le May
Its been a couple of years since I have been there but had tried 3Xs before & I wasnt impressed. I wanted to give this so many chances because a vegan & Vegetarian restaurant in this city is needed. I am not sure why so many people rave about this place, its very over priced & the portions small plus the service is spotty at best. To be honest, I have had some great vegetarian food in Portland, Oregon & you get what you pay for & the portions & prices are close to what we pay in Madison minus the tax as food is not taxed there. I would hope this business would look at all reviews & view this as a learning tool other than getting comfortable with all the favorable reviews.
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Timothy Garrett
As a vegan, I would love to support the only 99% vegan restaurant in town. Sadly, I can no longer go there after my last experience which was the worst. Even though I was never super happy with Green Owl, I thought I would give it another chance. I never liked the entries but just the sandwiches. However the "Chicken" Dijon had a really bad after taste. So bad that I wish it had been a Boca Chick-N patty instead. And the avocado/lime dressing, besides just looking gross was way too spicy. So I will have to go back and continue to eat at regular restaurants with vegan options. That shouldnt be the case but what other choice do I have if I want to eat out.
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Emily Thousand
I went here on a beautiful Saturday with my sister. We both got a Kombucha cocktail (the Kombucha is created in-house!) that was great! I got the "crabby cakes" and let me tell you, I was blown away. Youd never think there wasnt actually any crab in the "crab cake." I would take someone who wouldnt consider themselves vegetarian and be confident they would like what they ordered - this restaurant does a great job of making VERY tasty food sans meat, youd never know the difference! I also LOVE the way its decorated! Great ambiance. My only complaint - a little over-priced - but that seems to be the general trend here in Madison.
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Dairy State Vegan
So many vegan options! I ordered my nachos without jalapeños and it still had a pretty good kick (I guess the vegan cheese is made with Mexican spices in it already), but damn were they good!! Cajun blackened "chicken" sandwich was reaaally yummy and the mashed potatoes and gravy on the side were really tasty!! The chocolate lave cake dessert was SOOOOOOO good. Only downside was that our waitress didnt watch our glasses and I had to bring our waters up to get them filled. Perfectly sized portions and the tab, with tip, was $31.